Sihanoukville and Koh Rong

We returned home yesterday after an overnight near JFK and a flight from Paris via Iceland the day before. Great to be back where they speak the same language and to be done with suitcases for awhile! But first back to the Cambodian part of the trip...

Here's Haney's favorite shot, taken at dusk on the Sihanoukville beach. The monks appear translucent because they were moving during the long exposure.

Earlier on the beach at Sihanoukville. A strange place, part gorgeous and part frat scene, with music 'til 4 am. 

Dinner just a few yards from the sea.

Taking the boat to Koh Rong.

Our beachfront bungalow.

As viewed from our porch - a villager unloads supplies with the help of his children.

With the man still unloading, the children romp in the sand - rolling downhill, doing somersaults, etc.  Then they wash it all off in the waves.

In front of our bungalow, with Sok San village in the background.

Another porch view.

Sunrise.

Haney snorkeling before breakfast.

A bridge in Sok San village.

The "resort" restaurant, on a pier, where we took our meals.

Coconut delivery.

To add to the atmosphere of being far from civilization, we discovered that "Survivor," (the Bulgarian version, anyway) was being filmed on our island.  The cast and crew were being housed in another resort just down the beach, and the scenery and props were being constructed right behind us.  We had fun watching the crew load up in the early morning (through the waves) and take off for wherever filming was happening that day.  A similar scene took place every evening.

The crew heads out with props.

We hired the man with the boat (seen unloading supplies above) to take us to a remote spot that was especially good for snorkeling.  We had the entire cove to ourselves.  We were impressed when he got in the water to snorkel too, only to discover that he was collecting clams to eat.

This little flat boat (you row it sitting on the chair) was used to carry things along the shore, like the coconuts seen above or our suitcases (from the speedboat pier to our bungalow).

Kampot

Flew Bangkok to Paris via New Delhi yesterday (March 20) over the course of 21 hours.  But back to Cambodia. Finally, on Feb. 28, we arrive at the coast. Well almost. Kampot, a river town a few kilometers from the sea.

We had some laundry done, then were startled to see our clothes hanging out in public as we strolled along the main riverfront walk later that afternoon.

Kampot is known for its French colonial architecture.

We got to see 25 fishing boats roll out before sunset and return after sunrise.  

Not sure if night fishing is more productive, but it is certainly the cooler option here.

The Elephant Mountains across the river were the site of one of the fiercest battles between the Khmer  Rouge and Vietnamese - in a former French hilltop town.

Women off to work in the morning.

Getting off the boat after a sunset ride

Dinner on our first night, right over the water.

Phnom Penh

We are now - March 19 - in Bangkok and flying to Paris tomorrow. But back to Feb 26: Enough with temples and ruins - on to the capitol.  Another challenging bus ride. The road into Phnom Penh turned into dirt, potholes, and a cloud of red dust, and we got stuck in the resulting traffic.  Finally arrived in town after dark and had to deal with the aggressive tuk-tuk drivers without having a clue as to how far our hotel was.  Turned out our driver didn't know either. 

Approaching Phnom Penh.

Pick your lane - left, right, center, or the new dirt roadbed.

We loved the national museum (anthropology).

On the Tonle Sap river, just before it joins the Mekong. Old school boats contrast with semi new vessel.

Murals at the National Palace.

The National Palace gardens.

Drinks at the Foreign Correspondents Club (now a public bar) looking down on the fascinating traffic patterns below. Cambodians drive on the right but to make a left turn against traffic, you take a sharper left and start drivng on the left until you find a spot to cross.

Monks go seeking alms in the morning, often holding saffron umbrellas against the hot sun.  A policeman receives a prayer for his contribution.

Gas for your motorbike, for sale in any available container--soft drink bottles, drinking water bottles, wine bottles, etc.

Wat Penh, a very active shrine full of people bringing incense, flowers, etc., hoping for good luck with exams or whatever...then returning to give thanks when all goes well.  The wall paintings dated from the 1930s, and the style was reminiscent of my (C's) father's childhood picture books.

Siem Reap / Angkor Wat

Today, March 15th, we are in Ko Chang, Thailand, heading to Ko Wai for two days, then Bangkok and Paris. Snorkeling 4 days in a row and counting. These shots are a couple of weeks old. Took way too many photos of the ruins, but had a wonderful time exploring them - especially between about 7 and 9 am, when it was cooler and less crowded. This area seemed much more evocative than Bagan, perhaps because many structures seemed in a state of decay - a huge pile of stones looking like they might have crumbled yesterday.

Angkor Wat.

Present from my parents - a night at the Sofitel in Siem Reap.

Ta Prohm, being taken over by the jungle.

On a return trip to Angkor Wat, just after dawn, we discovered thousands of people there for the sunrise.  Fortunately they all went home for breakfast, and we had a nice visit.

Bayon.

Ta Prohm again.

A young hawker.

Pub Street in Seam Reap - crazy counterpart to the temples.

We had some laundry done, and the laundress painstakingly sewed a piece of thread into each garment to identify it as ours.  I later learned that everyone does this - only most people remove the threads before returning the clothes.

Wonderful bas reliefs at Angkor Wat.

Haney at the Cambodian barber - before...

And after.